Middle East

Festivals

Malaysia's multicultural
community lends colour to the
calendar, with bright
festivals peppering the year
for both locals and visitors
to observe and enjoy.

Hari Raya, or Eid-Ul-Fitr, is
celebrated by Malaysian
Muslims every year. Hari Raya
marks the end of a month of
sunrise-to-sunset fasting
during the holy month of
Ramadhan. The first day of
Hari Raya starts early at the
mosque with prayers, followed
by visits to the graves of
loved ones. Many Muslim
families open up their homes
to celebrate the occasion,
with a bounty of good food.

The Chinese usher in the Lunar
New Year with bright red
colours and fireworks. The
loud sounds are meant to ward
off bad luck for the rest of
the year. Lion dances and
occasionally dragon dances are
performed during this period,
so do enquire about these if
you plan to visit during this
time.

The brightness does not fade
through the year, as Malaysian
Hindus celebrate the Festival
of Lights, Deepavali. The
occasion celebrates the
triumph of light over
darkness, good over evil and
knowledge over ignorance. Clay
lamps are kept lit at homes of
Hindus throughout the
festival. The lamps are said
to help the goddess Lakshmi
find her way into celebrants’
homes.

A much-photographed event is
Thaipusam. On this day, Tamil
Hindus head to the closest
Murugan temple, the most
popular being Batu Caves
Temple in Selangor. The sight
of devotees carrying ‘kavadis’
as a form of penance, falling
into trances, piercing
themselves or walking on hot
coals without hurting from it,
is definitely an experience
not for the faint-hearted.

Other festivals celebrated in
Malaysia are Wesak Day by the
Buddhists, the Hungry Ghost
Festival by the Chinese and
Christmas Day by Christians.
In East Malaysia, the Harvest
Festival, also known as
Kaamatan, is widely observed
especially in Sabah, while
‘Hari Gawai’ is celebrated by
the Dayaks or Ibans of
Sarawak.

Not a religious festival, but
a major tourist attraction on
its own, is the annual
Rainforest World Music
Festival held in Kuching,
Sarawak. Surrounded by lush
rainforest and the sounds of
nature, music revellers come
together to rock out to the
rhythm from the world’s
different regions.

Key Tips

Check out the
Calendar of Events
to see what
festivals and
celebrations will be
on during your
visit. Do take note
that some tourist
attractions may be
closed during major
public holidays.

Make your hotel
and travel bookings
well in advance for
popular destinations
for certain
festivals, e.g.
Penang during
Chinese New Year or
Kuching for the
Rainforest World
Music Festival.